Thread carrier driving mechanism for straight bar knitting machines



Oct. 14, 1952 Filed Sept. 23, 1950 K W. WICKARDT THREAD CARRIER bRIVING MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES 2 SHEETS-SI-1EET l Kan rwu/ W/CkA/JDT Inventor Attoniey Oct. 14, 1952 K. w. WICKARDT 2,613,519

THREAD CARRIER DRIVING MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Sept. 23, 1950 KURT W/ll/ W/CKAPDT Inventor Attor e' Patented Oct. 14, 1952 THREAD CARRIER DRIVING MECHAYISM FOR STRAIGHT CHINES BAR KNITTING Kurt Willi Wickardt, Liverpool, England, assignor to Hosemaster Machine Company Limited, Liverpool, England, a British company Application September 23, 1950, Serial No. 186,371 In Great Britain July 8, 1949 22 Claims.

front of the slurcock. Some of these methods work satisfactorily for thread carriers which have a long lead in front of the slurcock but are not satisfactory, however, for the plaiting carriers which have a short lead, nor when working fabric of narrow or reduced width. This is due in previously proposed methods to a large proportion of the amplitude of travel being required for accelerating and retarding the thread carriers, and with the short lead essential with plaiting carriers, the slurcock may overtake the thread carriers.

It is more customary, therefore, for the old method using double friction boxes, one arranged to drive the main thread carriers, and the other arranged to drive the plaiting carriers to be still employed. This method, however, has the disadvantage that several shocks to the machine are caused during each course of knitting. The first shock occurs when a friction rod engages a sliding box connected to the thread carrier rod, the second shock when the carrier rod hits the associated stop, and the third shock when the friction box reaches the friction box stop.

To ensure a satisfactory drive to the thread carrier, there must be a sufficiently strong frictional force between the friction box and the friction rod and this results in hard shocks.

According to one feature of the present invention cycloidal driving means is provided for a thread carrier and is adapted to achieve a relatively gradual and substantially shock free acceleration and/or retardation of the thread carrier.

According to a further feature of the present invention a straight bar knitting machine, such for example as a Cotton type machine, in which one element is periodically linearly displaced by another, is provided with a cycloidally engaging and/or disengaging coupling device between said elements to achieve substantially shock-free acceleration and/or retardation of said element.

The cycloidally engaging and/or disengaging Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of parts of a thread carrier driving mechanism embodying the present invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are diagrammatic drawings, showing the paths taken by the member of the mechanism in Fig. i which imparts drive to the thread carrier rod when moving to the left and right respectively.

Fig. 4 shows the relative positions of the slurcock and the thread carrier in both directions of traverse, and

Fig. 5 is a time space curve illustrating relative movements of slurcock and thread carrier.

In Fig. 1 the reference numerals l and 2 denote respectively the well known slurcock bar and thread carrier rod or elements directly connected to said slurcock bar and/or thread carrier rod respectively. The slurcock bar is linearly reciprocated in any known manner by the coulier or draw mechanism (not shown) and constitutes the driving member whilst the thread carrier rod constitutes the driven member and is'likewise to be linearly reciprocated. It is the primary object of the invention to provide a driving mechanism whereby the drive may be transmitted to the thread carrier rod in a substantially shock free manner.

A shaft 3, rotatably mounted in bearing bracket 4 secured to bar l, carries at one end a crank or lever 5 having an axially projecting pin or roller 6, and at the other end a toothed wheel I. The radius of the crank 5 is preferably equal to the radius of the toothed wheel 1. Frictional means, such as spring 8 on bearing bracket 4 are provided whereby shaft 3 may be restrained from rotation so that crank 5 may be maintained in a vertical or horizontal position as required the restraining action being easily overcome, to permit the crank 5 to act as hereinafter described.

On the thread carrier rod 2 two pairs of plates 9, l0 and ll, 12 are disposed in the line of travel of roller 6 and are so arranged that roller 6 in its upper or lower vertical position can pass over or under the said plates 9, W, H and I2. The pairs of plates 9, l0 and ll, 12 define grooves I3, l4 into which roller 6 may be engaged by rotation of crank 5 and shaft 3.

Two pairs of toothed racks l", [5 and I1, I13 are disposed in the line of travel of toothed wheel I. The two racks [5, H are oppositely directed and are disposed on support I9 which is vertically displaceable in guide 2!). The two racks are spaced apart by a distance a little greater than the outside diameter of the toothed wheel I so that when support 19 is in its mid 3 position the wheel I may pass therebetween without engaging either rack I5 or rack II. Upward or downward vertical displacement of support I9 enables toothed wheel 7 to be brought into engagement with rack IT or rack I5 so that linear displacement of bracket 4 on slurcock bar I causes rotation of wheel I, shaft 3, lever 5 and roller 6 thereby imparting a cycloidal motion to roller 6. The two racks I6, IB are similarly disposed on support 2! which is vertically displaceable in guide 22. The length of the racks and diameter of wheel 1 are such thatmovement of wheel I past and in engagement with one rack causes the wheel to rotate through one quarter of a revolution. The lower ends of supports I9 and 2| are in contact with bar 24 which is movable vertically in guide 25, and the guides 20, 22 are slidably carried on bar 23 and are connected to rods 26, 2! respectively.

Fig. 1 shows the various parts in positions relative one to another prior to the slurcock bar I and bearing bracket 4 being moved to the left. The toothed racks I5, I6 and l1, II. are in their lowest positions while the lever 5 is in the upper vertical position. On movement of the slurcock bar I to the left the toothed wheel I is brought into engagement with toothed rack I5. Further movement of the bracket 4 to the left causes the toothed wheel I to be rotated ina clockwise direction through a quarter of a revolution whereby the roller 6 moves downwards and slides into the groove I4 defined by plates 9, l0. Thereby the plates 9, l and thread carrier rod 2 will be moved to the left. Until the lever has reached its horizontal position the speed of thread carrier rod 2 is less than the speed of bearing bracket 4. When the lever 5 is horizontal the toothed wheel I comes out of engagement with rack I5 so that the lever 5 remains in its horizontal position being restrained from further rotation, by spring 8, and thread carrier rod 2 is then driven at the same speed as bracket 4 and slurcock bar I.

Prior to the thread carrier rod 2 reaching the stop limiting its traverse, the toothed wheel I is brought into engagement with the toothed rack l6. Thereby the toothed wheel I is rotated in a clockwise direction through a further quarter of a revolution causing roller 5 to move out of the groove I4 defined by plates 9, ID. The groove is so designed that the thread carrier rod 2 will touch its stop without a shock. Thus the travel of the thread carrier rod is in part affected by the distance between the two sets of racks I5, I! and I6, I8.

While the slurcock is stationary during the working out of the knitted loops the toothed racks I5, I6, l1, l8 are moved into their upper positions so that the toothed wheel "I will engage the lower racks I8, I! when the bearing bracket 4 and slurcock bar I are moved in the opposite direction. Thereby the wheel 7 is turned twice through a quarter of a revolution in a clockwise direction bringing roller 6 into and subsequently out of the groove I3 defined by plates II, I2 to transmit the drive to thread carrier rod 2 in the manner described above but in the opposite direction. The grooves I4 and I3 defined by plates 9, I0 and II, I2 are identical in form but are disposed in opposite directions.

On narrowing or widening the knitted fabric the narrowing mechanism and carrier stops are operated in known manner for controlling the distance of traverse of the thread carriers. By means of rods 26 and 21 the guides 20, 22, and

with them the racks I5, I! and I5, l8, are moved towards or away from one another into fresh positions and thus the amplitude of travel of the thread carrier rod 2 will be reduced or increased as required whilst the amplitude of travel of the slurcock bar may remain substantially the same.

The path followed by the roller 8 is more clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In Fig. 2 the solid line 6 represents the path followed by the roller 6 when moved to the left, the wheel 1 being brought into engagement with the racks I5, [5 in succession, and in Fig. 3 the solid line 6" represents the path followed by the roller 6 when moved to the right, the wheel 1 engaging racks I8, I! in succession.

It will be seen that the slurcock bar I must be moving before movement of the thread carrier rod 2 is initiated but the thread carrier leads the slurcock as shown in Fig. 4 in which the reference numeral 27 represents the slurcock and the reference numeral 28 the thread carrier, the full lines indicating the relative positions when traversing from left to right, and the chain dotted lines those when traversing from right to left. Fig. 5 is a displacement diagram with distance as ordinate and time as abscissa, the line 2'! representing the displacement of the slurcock and the line 28 that of the thread carrier. It will be observed from the diagram in Fig. 5 that at any given point within the traverse of thread carrier the carrier leads in front of the slurcock.

By means of the driving mechanism of the present invention the thread carriers may be speeded up and slowed down in correct relation to the motion of the slurcock, whereby the lead of the thread carriers in front of the slurcock will, during the knitting of hose blank portions or of reinforced or plaited areas in the hose blank, or of different widths even down to the very narrowest widths, remain substantiall constant as adjusted. Furthermore the starting and stopping of the thread carriers may be effected substantially without shock.

Iclaim:

1. In a straight bar knitting machine, such for example as a Cotton type machine, in which one element is periodically linearly displaced by another, the provision of a cycloidally engaging and disengaging coupling device between said elements to achieve substantially shock free acceleration and deceleration of said one element.

2. In a straight bar knitting machine, such for example as a Cotton type machine, including at least one thread carrier rod periodically linearly displaced by the slurcock bar, the provision of a cycloidally engaging and disengaging coupling device between said thread carrier rod and said slurcock bar to achieve substantially shock free acceleration and retardation of said thread carrier rod.

3. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for example as a Cotton type machine, including at least one thread carrier rod periodically linearly reciprocated by the slurcock bar, the provision of a cycloidally engaging and disengaging coupling device between said thread carrier rod and said slurcock bar to achieve substantiall shock free acceleration and retardation of said thread carrier rod when displaced in either direction.

4. In a straight bar knitting machine such for example as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly displaceable driving member, a linearly displaceable driven member, abutment means on one of said members, and a cycloidally movable member on the other of said members adapted to engage said abutment means.

5. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for example as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly displaceable driving member, a linearly displaceable driven member, abutment means on one of said members, and a cycloidally moveable member on the other of said members adapted to engage said abutment means and means for controlling the cycloidal movement of said cycloidally moveable member to bring it into and out of engagement with said abutment means.

6. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for example as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly displaceable driving member, a linearly displaceable driven member, abutment means on one of said members, a driving element rotatably carried on the other of said members, means to rotate said driving element on linear displacement of said other member to cause said driving element to follow a cycloidal path to control the engagement of said driving element with said abutment means.

'7. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for example as a Cotton type machine, a thread car-- rier drive embodying a linearly displaceable driving member, a linearly displaceable driven member, abutment means on one of said members and embodying a groove of defined curvature, a cycloidally movable member on the other of said members adapted to engage said groove in said abutment means, and means for controlling the .cycloidal movement of said cycloidally moveable member to bring it into and out of engagement with said abutment means.

8. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for example as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly displaceable driving member, a linearly displaceable driven member, abutment means on one of said members and embodying a groove of defined curvature, a driving element rotatably mounted on th other of said members, means to rotate said driving element on linear displacement of said other member to cause said driving element to follow a cycloidal path to control the engagement of said driving element with said groove in said abutment means.

9. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for exampleas 2. Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly displaceable driving member, a linearly displaceable driven member, abutment means on one of said members, a driving element rotatably carried on the other of said members, a first means to rotate said driving element at one point in the linear displacement of said other member to cause said driving element to rotate through substantially one quarter of a revolution and thus follow a cycloidal path to bring it into engagement with said abutment means, a second means to rotate said driving element at a later point in said linear displacement of said other member to cause said driving element to rotate substantially through a further quarter of a revolution and thus follow a cycloidal path to bring said driving element out of driving engagement with said abutment means.

10. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for example, as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly displaceable driving member, a linearly displaceable driven member, abutment means on one of said members, a driving element rotatably carried on the other of said members, a toothed wheel rotatable With said driving element, a first toothed rack disposed at one point in the linear displacement of said other member and adapted to engage said toothed Wheel to cause said toothed Wheel and driving element to rotate through substantially one quarter of a revolution to bring said driving element into engagement with said abutment means, and a second toothed rack disposed at another point in the linear displacement of said other member to cause said toothed wheel and driving element to rotate through substantially another quarter of a revolution to bring said driving element out of engagement with said abutment means.

11. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for example, as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly reciprocating driving member a linearly reciprocable driven member, abutment means on said driven member, a driving element rotatably carried on said driving member a first pair of control elements at spaced positions in the path of said driving member and operable to cause said driving element to be rotated during displacement of said driving member in one direction to bring said driving element respectively into and out of engagement with said abutment means, and a second pair of control elements at similarly spaced points in the path of travel of said driving member and operable to cause rotation of said driving element during the displacement of said driving member in the opposite direction to bring said driving element respectively into and out of engagement with said abutment means.

12. In a straight bar knitting machine, such for example, as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly displaceable driving member, a linearly displaceable driven member, first and second abutment means on said driven member, a driving element rotatably carried on said driving member, a first pair of control elements disposed at spaced points in the path of said driving member and each operable to cause said driving element during displacement of said driving member in one direction to cause the driving element to rotate through substantially one quarter of a revolution to bring said driving element respectively into and out of engagement with said first abutment means successively, a second pair of control elements disposed at similarly spaced points in the path of travel of said driving member and each operable to cause said driving element during displacement of said driving member in the opposite direction to cause said driving element to rotate through substantially one quarter of a revolution to bring said driving element respectively into and out of engagement With said second abutment means successively.

13. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for example, as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly reciprocating driving member, a linearly reciprocable driven member, abutment means on said driven member, a driving element rotatably carried on said driving member, a toothed wheel rotatable with said driving element a first toothed rack disposed at one point in the path of said driving member and operable to engage said toothed wheel to cause said driving element to be rotated through substantially one quarter of a, revolution during displacement of said driving member in one direction to bring said driving element into engagement with said abutment means, a second toothed rack disposed at a further point in the path of said driving member and operable to engage said toothed wheel to cause said driving element to be rotated through a further one quarter of a revolution during displacement of said driving member in said one direction to bring said driving element out of engagement with said abutment means, a third and a fourth toothed racks disposed at similarly spaced points in the path of travel of said driving member and operable to cause rotation of said driving element during the displacement of said driving member in the opposite direction to bring said driving element respectively into and out of engagement with said abutment means.

14. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for example, as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly displaceable driving member, a linearly displaceable driven member, first and second abutment means on said driven member, a driving element rotatably carried on said driving member, a toothed Wheel rotatable with said driving element, a first pair of toothed racks disposed at spaced points in the path of said driving member and each operable during displacement of said driving member in one direction to engage with said toothed wheel to cause the driving element to rotate through substantially one quarter of a revolution to bring said driving element respectively into and out of engagement with said first abutment means successively, a second pair of toothed racks disposed at similarly spaced points in the path of travel of said driving member and each operable during displacement of said driving member in the opposite direction to engage with said toothed wheel to cause rotation of said driving element through substantially one quarter of a revolution to bring said driving element respectively into and out of engagement with said second abutment means.

15. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for example, as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly reciprocating driving member a linearly reciprocable driven member, abutment means on said driven member, a driving element rotatably carried on said riving member a first pair of control elements at spaced positions in the path of said driving member and operable to cause said driving element to be rotated during displacement of said driving member in one direction to bring said driving element respectively into and out of engagement with said abutment means, a second pair of control elements at similarly spaced points in the path of travel of said driving member and operable to cause rotation of said driving element during the displacement of said driving member in the opposite direction to bring said driving element respectively into and out of engagement with said abutment means, and means to bring selectively said first or second pairs of control elements into operation according to the direction of displacement of said driving element.

16. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for example, as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly displaceable driving member, a linearly displaceable driven member, first and second abutment means on said driven member, each abutment means embodying agroove of defined curvature, the groove on one abutment means being in the opposite direction to that on the other, a driving element rotatably carried on said driving member and adapted to engage said grooves, a toothed wheel rotatable with said driving element, a toothed rack disposed at one point in the path of said driving member and adapted during displacement of said driving member in one direction to engage with said toothed wheel to cause the driving element to rotate through substantially one quarter of a revolution in one direction to bring said driving element into engagement with said groove on said first abutment means, a second toothed rack disposed at a further point in the path of said driving member and adapted to engage with said toothed wheel to cause said driving element to rotate through substantially one quarter of a revolution in the same direction to bring said driving element out of engagement with said groove, a third and a fourth toothed racks disposed at similarly spaced points in the path of travel of said driving member and each adapted during displacement of said driving member in the opposite direction to cause rotation of said driving element through substantially one quarter of a revolution in the same direction to bring said driving element respectively into and out of engagement with said groove on second abutment means, and means to move said toothed racks in a direction substantially normal to the axis of said toothed wheel so as to bring said first and second or said third and fourth or more of said toothed racks into positions in which they are engageable with said toothed wheel.

17. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for example, as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly displaceable driving member, a linearly displaceable driven member, first and second abutment means on said driven member, a driving element rotatably carried on said driving member, a toothed wheel rotatable with said driving element, a first pair of toothed racks disposed at spaced points in the path of said driving member operable during displacement of said driving member in one direction to engage with said toothed wheel and each to cause the driving element to rotate through substantially one quarter of a revolution to bring said driving element respectively into and out of engagement with said first abutment means successively, a second pair of toothed racks disposed at similarly spaced points in the path of travel of said drivin member and operable during displacement of said driving member in the opposite direction and each to engage with said toothed wheel to cause rotation of said driving element through substantially one quarter of a revolution to bring said driving element respectively into and out of engagement with said second abutment means, and means to alter the spacing of the toothed racks in said first and second pairs relative one to the other in the direction of displacement of said driving member.

18. In a strai -ht bar knitting machine such, for example, as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly displaceable driving member, a linearly displaceable driven member, abutment means on one of said members, a driving element rotatably carried on the other of said members, a first means to rotate said driving element at one point in the linear displacement of said other member to cause said driving element to rotate through substantially one quarter of a revolution and thus follow a cycloidal path to bring it into engagement with said abutment means, a second means to rotate said driving element at a later point in said linear displacement of said other memberto cause said driving element to rotate substantially through a further quarter of a revolution and thus follow a cycloidal path to bring said driving element out of driving engagement with said abutment means, and means to alter the spacing between said first and second means to rotate said driving element.

19. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for example, as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly displaceable driving member, a linearly displaceable driven member, first and second abutment means on said driven member, each abutment means embodying a groove of defined curvature, the groove on one abutment means being in the opposite direction to that on the other, a driving element rotatably carried on said driving member and adapted to engage said grooves, a toothed wheel rotatable with said driving element, a toothed rack disposed at one point in the path of said driving member and adapted during displacement of said driving member in one direction to engage with said toothed wheel to cause the driving element to rotate through substantially one quarter of a revolution in one direction to bring said driving element into engagement with said groove on said first abutment means,

- a second toothed rack disposed at a further point in the path of said driving member and adapted to engage with said toothed wheel to cause said driving element to rotate through substantially one quarter of a revolution in the same direction to bring said driving element out'of engagement with said groove, a third and a fourth toothed racks disposed at similarly spaced points in the path of travel of said driving member and each adapted during displacement of said driving member in the opposite direction to cause rotation of said driving element through substantially one quarter of a revolution in the same direction to bring said driving element respectively into and out of engagement with said groove on second abutment means, and means to move said toothed racks in a direction substantially normal to the axis of said toothed wheel so as to bring said first and second or said third and fourth toothed racks into positions in which they are engageable with said toothed wheel, and means to alter the spacing between said first and second toothed racks and between said third and fourth toothed racks to control at least in part the extent of displacement of said driven member.

20. In a straight bar knitting machine such, for example, as a Cotton type machine, a thread carrier drive embodying a linearly displaceable slurcock bar, a linearly displaceable-thread carrier rod, first and second abutment means on said thread carrier rod, each abutment means embodying a groove of defined curvature, the groove on one abutment means being in the opposite direction to that on the other, a driving element rotatably carried on said slurcock bar, and adapted to engage said grooves, a toothed wheel rotatable with said driving element, a toothedrack disposed at one point in the path of said slurcock bar and adapted during displacement of said slurcock bar in one direction to engage with said toothed wheel to cause the driving element to rotate through substantially one quarter of a revolution in one direction to bring said driving element into engagement with said groove on said first abutment means, to achieve substantially shock free acceleration of said thread carrier rod, a second toothed rack disposed at a further point in the path of said slurcock bar and adapted to engage with said toothed wheel to cause said driving element to rotate through substantially one quarter of a revolution in the same direction to bring said driving element out of engagement with said groove, to achieve substantially shock free retardation of said thread carrier rod, a third and a fourth toothed rack disposed at similarly spaced points in the path of travel of said slurcock bar and each adapted during displacement of said slurcock bar in the opposite direction to cause rotation of said driving element through substantially one quarter of a revolution in the same direction to bring said driving element respectively into and out of engagement with said groove on second abutment means, to achieve substantially shock free acceleration and retardation respectively of said thread carrier rod in the opposite direction, and means to move said toothed racks in a direction substantially normal to the axis of said toothed wheel so as to bring said first and second or said third and fourth toothed racks into position in which they are engageable with said toothed wheel.

21. In a straight bar knitting machine such for example as a Cotton type machine in which one element is periodically linearly displaced by another, the provision of a cycloidally engaging coupling device between said elements to achieve substantially shock free acceleration of said one element.

22. In a straight bar knitting machine such for example as a Cotton type machine in which one element is periodically linearly displaced by another, the provision of a cycloidally disengaging coupling device between said elements to achieve substantially shock free deceleration of said one element.

KURT WILLI WICKARDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,396,445 Start et a1 Mar. 12, 1946 2,472,175 Start et al. June 7, 1949 

